Studying Culture through Cultural Studies

Abstract

This academic article explores cultural studies as an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the processes of creating, maintaining, sharing, and reproducing culture in society. It emphasizes the analysis of social, economic, and political contexts in relation to various forms of cultural texts. Cultural studies also places particular attention on the influence of unequal power structures in society, especially concerning issues of social identities such as class, gender, race, and ethnicity. From this perspective, culture is not viewed as static, but as a dynamic and continually changing process. It is understood as a space of negotiation, domination, and resistance, reflecting the political processes of everyday life. As often stated, “culture is politics by other means.” In summary, cultural studies does not only aim to understand culture as a human product but also focuses on analyzing the power relations embedded within culture, with the goal of uncovering and questioning the structures that produce inequality in society.